There is a moment at every networking event, you know the one. You’re standing there with a name tag slowly peeling off your blazer trying to hold a flimsy paper plate of cheese cubes and a lukewarm conversation. The small talk is painful. The smiles are… aggressive. And everyone’s eyes are darting not because they are interested in you but because they’re calculating ROI on the next handshake. You are in the middle of what can only be described as professional speed dating for the kingdom of capitalism.

A lot of us are out here collecting contacts like Pokémon cards, but we’ve forgotten how to actually care about people.

It’s time to stop “leveraging relationships” and start loving our neighbors.

Networking is not sinful, just shallow

Let me set the record straight: Networking isn’t evil. The Bible is not an anti-ambition book and God is not against you getting connected. But when connection becomes a strategy to get ahead rather than a posture of service it goes sideways pretty fast.

Networking says, “What can I get out of this room?”

Neighboring asks, “Who in this room needs to be seen?”

Jesus never said, “Blessed are the well-connected.” He said, “Love your neighbor”

We’ve got too many Christians out here looking for influence and not enough looking for interruptions, which, if you read the Gospels, is basically where all of Jesus’ best ministry happened.

Jesus didn’t network but he built a Kingdom

Jesus did not pass out parchment business cards to people. He passed out bread. And healing. And second chances.

He didn’t look for power players but he was constantly stopping for the overlooked.

· The bleeding woman who reached for His robe

· The blind man yelling over the crowd

· The tax collector nobody liked

· The children people thought were a waste of His time

Jesus could’ve spend all His time with religious elites and political leaders. Instead, He chose fishermen and nobodies.

It is not because they had strategic value but because they were His mission. And if we’re trying to follow Jesus, shouldn’t we stop walking into every room asking, “What’s in this for me?”

And start asking, “God, who are You inviting me to see today?”

Neighboring Is Slow. And That’s the Point.

Networking moves fast. It’s efficient.

Neighboring is… awkward. Inconvenient. Interruptive. And totally worth it.

It means remembering the new hire’s name and checking in.

It means showing up when someone’s going through it, even if it messes with your perfectly planned week.

It means seeing the coworker who always gets talked over in meetings and making space for them.

Neighboring doesn’t scale well, and that’s what makes it sacred. You can’t automate it. You can’t systematize it. You can’t track ROI.

But Heaven notices.

Let’s Build Something Deeper Than a Network

Here’s what I’m getting at:

You don’t need more contacts. You need more compassion.
You don’t need a better elevator pitch. You need to lift someone up.
You don’t need to network harder. You need to neighbor better.

We keep trying to scale our careers, our brands, our followings and that’s fine. But let’s not forget that Jesus wasn’t impressed by any of that.

He was moved by faith. By humility. By people who chose people over platforms.

So sure, go to the conference. Shake some hands. Pass the business card.

But before you walk in, ask God:

“Who in this room have You called me to love today?”

That’s how culture shifts. That’s how the Kingdom grows.

Not through networking.

Through neighboring.

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